It's been a few weeks since I have made a blog post. I was away for an extended road trip and was processing a lot of my stuff while in the car. What do I mean by this? I was doing a life examination and seeing where I could make some changes and what needed to go. I'm back home and ready to rock it. I had some huge Aha moments and some that threw me for a loop. I highly recommend this process to anyone who feels stuck. It's a great way to get away and work on some of your "stuff". It's hard to go there, but if you want different results in your life, it's the way to do it. I realized that you can't sit around and wait for others to change, you have to change your response to things.

Back in my "happy place" - Santa Barbara, Ca., June 2016

I'm a fan of Doreen Virtue (Google her if you aren't familiar, she's amazing!) on both Facebook and Instagram. Doreen has some great posts just about everyday that always seem to hit me right in the head. Today's was, "Stay out of the drama, even if for just one day!". Wow, that's great. I went out for a bike ride and decided to do it. Guess what, it was amazing how many ways people tried to bring it to my handlebars. I'll give you one example. I had a beautiful monarch butterfly land on the front of my bike. They were all around. I stopped to enjoy them. A gentleman was walking by me. I told him about the butterflies and hoped he would enjoy seeing them as well. He looked at me and uttered, "Yeah, well this place is also filled with snakes!". I looked at him and said, "I'm going to focus on the positive!". That felt really good! Butterflies vs. snakes, what will you choose?

I'm feeling really good about the future because I realized this past week that you shouldn't even go to the non-existent future. Take one step at a time. I was feeling overwhelmed because my book is going to be coming out here very soon. Why was I not excited? I was feeling overwhelmed because there is still a lot of steps between here and there. This is when I realized to stop looking at the future, and to take it in small bites. Case in point, make a list every day of three things (yes, just three things) to do. I will let you know that when you feel so good about just getting those three things done, your list will grow and you will have the energy and spirit to finish it.

After driving nearly 2,500 miles, the Aha list was very long. With my new thinking, I'm going to take that list one at a time. As long as I do this, I will keep moving forward and my future will sort itself out. There is a reason I am in the situation I am in right now. It's preparing me for my best self. If I don't stop long enough and learn the lessons that are being thrown at me right now, how will I ever move forward in a positive manner. As someone wise told me last night, "Different forest, same trees!". Basically, if I refuse to figure my "stuff" out now, history will just repeat itself. Take that nugget and go out there and get at it!!

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary intuitive coaching session to discuss how to make your second half of life better than your first.

Santa Barbara always provides me with a few days away from my reality. It truly is one of my happy spots. The ocean, scenery, people and food make for a truly amazing few days. As my adventure continued, I ventured out to try some new restaurants. One of the favorites of the trip was a restaurant called Dargan's Irish Pub on State Street. When I sit outside to eat, it already adds points to a restaurant. This pub delivered in terms of both food and wait staff. I was served by a young lad who was over in the States for the summer to work from Ireland. He said he was excited to be going home because California was just too much for him. He provided me with great service and some stories on top of that. Add to that my amazing guacamole and chips and my quesadilla entree and the night was a success. (www.darganssb.com)
While on my quest for full relaxation, I came upon the Float Luxury Spa (www.floatluxuryspa.com). Set in a small house on one of the side streets of downtown, this spa couldn't have been more relaxing. I opted for the Salt Scrub followed up by a hot stone massage. This is a life I could get used to. The staff was great, the facilities very clean, and the services divine. I will definitely be going back for more.

After all of this luxury, I headed down the The Natural Cafe on State Street for a healthy meal. Since I was feeling very organic after my treatments, I wanted to keep that clean feeling going strong. This tasty little restaurant provided just that very thing. It is an order-at-the-counter establishment but they bring it right to your table. They provide healthy food, drinks and again, my favorite, an outdoor dining area. I really love to dine Al Fresco. Santa Barbara is the place just for that.

Too soon it was time for me to jet back to Utah. I absolutely love where I live. I always remind myself that people pay thousands of dollars to come to Park City for vacation. However, when I have a chance to be by the ocean, my soul is just re-nourished and I feel grounded. It always hits me hard when I drive back to my house at 8,000 feet. My dream is to some day live near the beach! Baby steps….

We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. - Anonymous

Last week brought me to one of my favorite spots on earth, the beautiful town of Santa Barbara. Although I have been there several times, on this trip I vowed to include several firsts. I was given the rare opportunity to travel by myself for five days as the rest of the family had headed to Michigan to attend a family event. I looked at this as an opportunity to refresh and get to know myself just a bit better. I had no one to answer to and no where to be at any particular moment. Let's see what the five days brought me.
I stayed at a wonderful VRBO property that was just steps from the ocean. I was able to walk up and down 222 stairs each way in order to watch the beautiful sunset every night. My trip up and down the Mesa Lane Steps to get to the beach gave me the great idea to set a goal for myself of being able to run up the stairs without stopping by the last day of my trip. I was able to walk up without stopping, but because of my sore calf muscles, the running was just not going to happen. It was really amazing to see other folks run up and down several times with no problem. Quite impressive!

My days in Santa Barbara were filled with contentment. I was able to pick and choose what I wanted to do each day. The first full morning there brought me to the Mission Santa Barbara (http://www.santabarbaramission.org). This was my first first of the trip. Founded by the Franciscan Friar Fr. Fermín de Lasuén, OFM on the Feast of St. Barbara, December 4th, 1786, Old Mission Santa Barbara, also known as the Queen of the Missions, has a history unlike any other landmark. It's got a rich and diverse setting, with beautiful gardens and surroundings. It takes just about an hour to wander through the buildings, so it makes a good place to visit before heading to the wonderful beaches in and around Santa Barbara.

Before basking all afternoon on the beach, I had a scrumptious lunch at the Shoreline Beach Cafe (http://shorelinebeachcafe.com). Located directly on the sands of Leadbetter Beach, they provide you with fresh, healthy ingredients, locally grown and harvested whenever possible. These include produce from local growers, seafood from local harvesters and great wines from Santa Barbara County Vintners (quoted directly from the Shoreline's website). The view is incredible and it wouldn't be hard to sit there for hours just gazing at the ocean.

Following up my lazy afternoon with a stroll down State Street, I was able to check out all the great shops along the way. Santa Barbara doesn't lack for amazing things to do…. Tommorow, another round of firsts for 50!

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta